Recently, some of us at the Dawn Lister Therapy Centre spent time reading The Way Home: Tales from a life without technology by Mark Boyle. The author takes us on a journey of his radical decision to renounce modern technology entirely and return to a simpler, more primitive way of life.
What this means is a move away from family and friends, to create a new home and life – from scratch using only the raw materials the earth provides – in rural Ireland.
Some time has passed since reading the book and a few ideas from it have really stayed with me, mainly around themes of connection, of community, and the importance of being deeply rooted in one place and time.
The author is careful not to rail against technology in all its guises, but through his poetic vignettes of his new life, he shows us how a different way of living is still possible. Rather than visit supermarkets, Mark grows, catches or forages all his food. He forgoes the telephone and instead keeps in touch with family by letter – and writes of how this slower, more intentional form of communication actually helps him feel closer to, and more known by, those he loves. He builds community where he is, often via the medium of shared work or tasks – of which there are many. To stay warm, he must light a fire after all, which means chopping wood: it’s clear the list of daily must-do tasks creates a strong rhythm for a structured and meaningful life.
The shared nature of many of these tasks creates a web of interdependence, of true neighbourliness, that it could be suggested the conveniences of our modern technologies have robbed us of. Mark speaks of the importance of neighbourly greetings, simple shared meals, and moments of laughter and music in pubs. True, human-to-human connection, boiled down to its basics, which for many of us might sadly be lacking in our day-to-day lives.
Another theme I’ve taken to heart is around the importance of nature in our lives. Living on the land, being connected with and linked to the land, gives Mark a heightened sense of respect for the natural world. I don’t know about you, but I can often find myself lost in my phone on my couch, unaware of what day it is, what season, or what’s going on outside my window. Since reading this book, I’ve made more of an effort to get outside more regularly, even if it’s for a short, slow stroll at 9 o’clock at night. I’ve also found huge value in a super early-morning walk outside – it feels like a gift to be in the world while it’s quiet, grounded at the start of a new day, before the busywork of our lives begins.
I guess that that’s the gift from this book: a reminder that the old, traditional ways of living are still available to us, and that we can all benefit from them, even if just a little, with just a little bit of intentional effort.
The Way Home: Tales from a Life Without Technology by Mark Boyle is published by Oneworld Publications and is available in all good bookshops
Photo by anotherxlife on Unsplash